Golf

By SHANE STARK
Staff Writer

Martin Piller has a test in atmospheric science this morning.

Though passing his classes would no doubt help him receive his Texas A&M diploma this summer, his mind was far removed from that Sunday.

Instead, his thoughts were on burritos. And not just any burrito — a Freebirds World Burrito.

“That’s my favorite place,” Piller said. “I can’t do the super monster. I always get the monster with sirloin steak. If you don’t get beans, you get queso for free.”

He surely has the change for queso nowadays, though.

Lee Trevino, Ben Crenshaw and Jeff Maggert. That’s only part of the fraternity Piller joined by becoming the Texas State Open champion ($25,000 prize) Sunday at The Cascades Golf Club.

Piller, in his first tournament as a pro following consecutive years as the State Open’s low amateur, fired a final-round 66 to finish at 14-under 266. He was followed by Dawie Van Der Walt and Shawn Stefani at 12-under.

Dustin Garza, who tied for fourth overall with Ryan Posey at 10-under, was the low amateur.

“I’m not ready for (the test),” laughed Piller, who never won a tournament in college. “I’m going to ask for an extension. I might do some praying for that tonight ... I’m not going to do anything special (to celebrate). I will probably just go to Freebirds.”

The championship — and, perhaps, celebratory burritos — put the finishing touches on a whirlwind week. Piller’s latest tournament was last February in Hawaii, leaving him guessing how effective he would be.

He started in modest fashion, shooting 69 in the opening round. But he heated up the following day, wowing his gallery with a hole-in-one en route to a tournament-low 64 and moving into a tie atop the leaderboard at the midway point.

More was to come, of course. Over the weekend, Piller posted more sub-par rounds before encountering a champion’s applause when he approached the 18th green for the final time.

“I honestly thought that was going to hurt me,” Piller said of the time away from tournaments. “I knew I was playing well, because I had been practicing and getting ready for it like I’d normally get ready for it. But there is a difference between practice and competition ... there’s still that unknown factor.”

Opponents still sensed a threat.

“He’s been a good player for a long time,” Stefani said.

For the third straight day, Piller began his round with par on the opening hole. But for the first time all weekend, he recorded birdie on the second to move to 11-under.

Following par on No. 3, he began to make a strong move against all contenders by recording the first of two eagles for the day on the 548-yard sixth hole — the course’s longest. He then eagled the 534-yard No. 14 to move to 14-under and all but ice the title.

“I sort of got off to a great start, which helped,” said Piller, who for the week had a hole-in-one, three eagles and 14 birdies. “I was giving myself good looks at them, that’s for sure. If you have good looks, you are going to make them. I have the mentality that if I’m around in the green in two, then why not (sink the shot) in three.”

Soon after, Piller was $25,000 richer — in his first week on the job. One can’t win them all without taking care of the first, he said.

“It feels good right now,” he said. “It’s good to start off on top. People will always say it can only get worse from here. It feels good to win again, because I haven’t won anything since high school. This is way better — there’s a check attached to it.”

Entering the day, eight players were within only three strokes of that check. Two of them were Van Der Walt and Stefani, who each received $12,500 for finishing second.

One stroke back before teeing off, Stefani lost ground to Piller but closed with three birdies on the last five holes. Three strokes back heading in, Van Der Walt sizzled with his second straight 65 — which included seven birdies.

Notes

: Piller has known his caddie, Taylor Mullings, for only a week. They met through mutual friends. Piller gave Mullings, a senior at Fort Bend Dulles, much of the credit. “I might have to give him some money for this,” Piller said. … The tournament had a 156 player field comprised of 129 professionals and 27 amatuers. The total purse was $128,000. The tournament will return to The Cascades next year. ... A $5 donation will be made to Birdies for Kids, the official charitable partner of the Texas State Open at The Cascades for every birdie and a $10 donation for every eagle made during play. Through the final round, a total of 1,296 birdies and 38 eagles were made totaling $6,860.00 in donations to Birdies for Kids. All proceeds will benefit the Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Foundation’s Golf in Schools program and Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

Dallas' Martin Piller celebrates winning the 38th Texas State Open Sunday after tapping in on the No. 18 green at the Cascades Golf Club.
(Staff photo by Phil Hicks)